The present invention relates to a pesticide delivery and dispensing system for use in connection with building structures to control and exterminate pests and, in particular, to a pesticide delivery and dispensing system which includes a simplified, inexpensive, easy to install, service box for introducing gaseous or liquid pesticides into a pesticide delivery and dispensing system, such as but not limited to a pesticide delivery and dispensing system for the control and extermination of roaches, ants, termites and other such pests. As used herein the term xe2x80x9cpesticidesxe2x80x9d includes insecticides, termiticides and other such toxic substances used to control or exterminate roaches, ants, termites and other such pests.
Pesticide delivery and dispensing systems are frequently included in building structures to control and exterminate pests, such as but not limited to roaches, ants, and termites. These pesticide delivery and dispensing systems typically include a plurality of flexible pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes which pass from a common location, e.g. a common location on an outside wall of a building, into predetermined zones of a building where the pesticide is dispensed to control and exterminate pests. The portions of the flexible pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes, leading from the one common location to the various zones of a building, have solid tubular walls to convey the pesticide to the various zones of the building structure where pest control and extermination is desired. In the various zones of the building structure, the pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes typically have a plurality of openings strategically located to dispense the gas or liquid pesticide into the areas where pest control and extermination is required. For example, the pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes may lead from a common location to numerous zones throughout a building structure where pests would normally initially enter a building from the outside and to numerous zones within the walls of the building structure where pests would normally breed and live. In these numerous zones, the gas or liquid pesticide is dispensed from the pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes through holes in the pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes to control or prevent roaches, ants, termites and other such pests from entering a building through these zones of potential entry and/or from breeding and living within the building structure.
Boxes housing ends of the pesticide delivery and dispensing tubes have been used with these pest control and exterminating systems to hold ends of the delivery and dispensing tubes together in one or more location to facilitate the introduction of pesticides into these systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,434, issued Jan. 16, 1990, discloses a xe2x80x9ccontrol distribution boxxe2x80x9d which may be mounted to the sidewall of a building. The control distribution box 15 has a plurality of flexible tubes running from the box to numerous zones in a building where the pesticide is to be dispensed. Snap fasteners 31 are used to hold ends of the tubes in place in a panel 28. In another example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,110, issued Jul. 31, 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,796, issued Aug. 3, 1993, disclose a receptacle for receiving the ends of a plurality of flexible tubes running from the receptacle to numerous zones in a building where a pesticide is to be dispensed. Serrated anchors 28, cable bushings 29 and lengths of drip irrigation tubing 32 are used to secure the ends 27 of the tubes to a plate of the receptacle. While the above discussed systems provide assemblies for introducing pesticides into pesticide control and extermination systems, the present invention provides a new, simplified and improved service box for introducing pesticides into pest control and extermination systems which is inexpensive, quick and easy to install, and quick and easy to repair.
The pesticide delivery and dispensing system of the present invention for controlling and exterminating pests includes a service box and a plurality of flexible, tubular delivery and dispensing lines for carrying a gaseous or liquid pesticide from the service box to locations where the pesticide is dispensed to control and exterminate pests. The service box includes a plate with a plurality of holes for retaining the elastic end portions of the plurality of tubular delivery and dispensing lines (as used herein the term xe2x80x9celasticxe2x80x9d means xe2x80x9ccapable of recovering size and shape after deformationxe2x80x9d). Each of the holes has a conical frustum shaped portion and an annular edge portion. The annular edge portion of each of the holes has the smallest diameter of the hole. When the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line passing through a hole of the plate is in an unstressed state, the annular edge portion of the hole is less in diameter than an outside diameter of the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line passing through the hole whereby the annular edge of the hole grips the outer surface of the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line and retains the tubular delivery and dispensing line in place so that pesticide, to be dispensed by the system, may be introduced into an open end of the tubular delivery and dispensing line.
During the assembly of the service box, the conical frustum shaped portion of each hole both guides and aligns the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line being passed through the hole with the annular edge portion of the hole so that the tip of the end portion of the delivery and dispensing line can be easily and quickly forced or pushed through the hole. Preferably, once the tip of the elastic end portion of a tubular delivery and dispensing line has been passed through a hole in the service box plate, the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line is placed under tension (tensile stress) to stretch or elongate the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line and reduce the diameter of the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line to a diameter about equal to and preferably, less than the internal diameter of the annular portion of the hole. This reduction in the diameter of the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line enables the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line to be easily drawn further through the hole a desired distance to form a coupling into which a pesticide injection nozzle from a pesticide supply source can be inserted to introduce a gas or liquid pesticide into the tubular delivery and dispensing line. Once the tension or tensile stress on the tubular delivery and dispensing line is released, the elasticity of the end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line causes the end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line to resume its normal outside diameter on both sides of the annular edge portion of the hole, which is greater than the internal diameter of the annular edge portion of the hole, to lock the end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line in place.
Preferably, when a tubular delivery and dispensing line is mounted in the plate, an excess length of the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line is retained behind the plate. If the coupling portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line passing through one of the holes becomes damaged, e.g. by improper or repeated insertion of the pesticide injection nozzle, at least part of the excess length of the elastic end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line can be drawn through the hole to replace the damaged coupling by reducing the diameter of the elastic end portion as it passes through the hole through compressive stress exerted on the elastic end portion of the line by the hole and/or through tensile stress exerted on the elastic end portion of the line that both elongates and reduces the diameter of the elastic end portion. Once the desired length of the excess length of the tubular delivery and dispensing line has been drawn through the plate to form a new coupling portion and any tensile stress elongating the elastic end portion has been released, the elasticity of end portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line causes the elastic end portion of the pesticide delivery and dispensing line to resume its original outside diameter on either side of the hole to lock the new coupling portion in place. The damaged coupling portion of the tubular delivery and dispensing line is cut off.
Preferably, the plate, with the end portions of the tubular delivery and dispensing lines, is housed within a service box adapted to be mounted on the exterior wall of a building or some other convenient location for servicing by a technician.